Liquid crystal panel and display device

Abstract

A liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer, and includes an active region and a frame region. The first substrate includes multiple pixel electrodes and multiple signal wiring lines. The liquid crystal panel further includes multiple pixel drive circuits located outside the active region. The pixel electrodes and portions of the signal wiring lines located in the active region are made of a transparent conductive material. The active region includes a display region defined by at least some of the multiple pixels. The pixel electrodes located in the display region include at least one pixel electrode set including two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid crystal panel comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate facing the first substrate; and   a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate,   wherein the liquid crystal panel includes an active region including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a frame region located around the active region,   the first substrate includes a plurality of pixel electrodes, each located in each of the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of signal wiring lines, each extending from the frame region to the active region,   in a plan view, the active region includes:
 a first display region defined by a first group of pixels included in the plurality of pixels, and 
 a second display region defined by a second group of pixels included in the plurality of pixels, 
   among the plurality of pixel electrodes:
 a plurality of first pixel electrodes located in the first display region is electrically independent on a pixel-by-pixel basis, and 
 a plurality of second pixel electrodes located in the second display region includes at least one pixel electrode set including two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other, and 
   the plurality of first pixel electrodes and the plurality of second pixel electrodes are provided to the first substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of pixel electrodes has substantially the same shape.   
     
     
         3 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a first conductive layer including the plurality of pixel electrodes, a second conductive layer including portions of the plurality of signal wiring lines located in the active region, and a first insulating layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.   
     
     
         4 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein a particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes two or more pixel electrodes connected to a particular signal wiring line of the plurality of signal wiring lines in contact holes independently formed in the first insulating layer.   
     
     
         5 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a first connection electrode configured to overlap two or more pixel electrodes adjacent to each other as viewed from a normal direction of a substrate plane of the first substrate, and   a particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the first connection electrode.   
     
     
         6 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the first connection electrode is included in the second conductive layer, and   the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the first connection electrode are connected to the first connection electrode in contact holes independently formed in the first insulating layer.   
     
     
         7 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the first connection electrode overlaps four pixel electrodes arranged in two rows and two columns as viewed from the normal direction of the substrate plane of the first substrate.   
     
     
         8 . A liquid crystal panel comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate facing the first substrate; and   a liquid crystal layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate,   wherein the liquid crystal panel includes an active region including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and a frame region located around the active region,   the first substrate includes a plurality of pixel electrodes, each located in each of the plurality of pixels, and a plurality of signal wiring lines, each extending from the frame region to the active region,   the liquid crystal panel further comprises a plurality of pixel drive circuits located outside the active region,   the plurality of pixel electrodes and portions of the plurality of signal wiring lines located in the active region are made of a transparent conductive material,   the active region includes a display region defined by at least some of the plurality of pixels,   of the plurality of pixel electrodes, pixel electrodes located in the display region include at least one pixel electrode set including two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other,   the first substrate further includes a first conductive layer including the plurality of pixel electrodes, a second conductive layer including the portions of the plurality of signal wiring lines located in the active region, and a first insulating layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer,   the first substrate further includes a third conductive layer provided on a side opposite the first conductive layer with respect to the second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer provided between the third conductive layer and the second conductive layer, or the first substrate further includes the third conductive layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and the second insulating layer provided between the third conductive layer and the first conductive layer,   the third conductive layer includes a second connection electrode configured to overlap two or more pixel electrodes as viewed from a normal direction of a substrate plane of the first substrate, and   a particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the second connection electrode.   
     
     
         9 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a third connection electrode formed in the frame region extending in a direction that intersects a direction in which the plurality of signal wiring lines extends, and that overlaps two or more signal wiring lines of the plurality of signal wiring lines as viewed from a normal direction of a substrate plane of the first substrate, and   a particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the third connection electrode.   
     
     
         10 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the third connection electrode is included in the first conductive layer, and   at least two signal wiring lines of the two or more signal wiring lines overlapping the third connection electrode are connected to the third connection electrode in contact holes independently formed in the first insulating layer.   
     
     
         11 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a first auxiliary electrode configured to fill a space between two pixels adjacent to each other as viewed from a normal direction of a substrate plane of the first substrate, and   the first auxiliary electrode is made of a transparent conductive material and is electrically connected to at least one of two pixel electrodes located in the two pixels.   
     
     
         12 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein a particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the first auxiliary electrode.   
     
     
         13 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a first conductive layer including the plurality of pixel electrodes, a second conductive layer including the first auxiliary electrode, and a first insulating layer provided between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and   the two or more pixel electrodes electrically connected to each other via the first auxiliary electrode are connected to the first auxiliary electrode in contact holes independently formed in the first insulating layer.   
     
     
         14 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes a third conductive layer provided on a side opposite the first conductive layer with respect to the second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer provided between the third conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and   the third conductive layer includes portions of the plurality of signal wiring lines located in the active region.   
     
     
         15 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein another particular pixel electrode set of the at least one pixel electrode set includes two or more pixel electrodes connected to a particular signal wiring line of the plurality of signal wiring lines in another contact holes independently formed in a layered body of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer.   
     
     
         16 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the third conductive layer further includes a second auxiliary electrode configured to fill a space between another two pixels adjacent to each other as viewed from the normal direction of the substrate plane of the first substrate, and   the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to one of two pixel electrodes located in the other two pixels, and has a portion not overlapping the first auxiliary electrode as viewed from the normal direction of the substrate plane of the first substrate.   
     
     
         17 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the second insulating layer includes dummy contact holes formed in regions separately overlapping the plurality of pixel electrodes.   
     
     
         18 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the first substrate further includes light blocking layers configured to block light from entering contact holes formed in the second insulating layer.   
     
     
         19 . The liquid crystal panel according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of signal wiring lines includes a signal wiring line overlapping two or more pixel electrodes as viewed from a normal direction of a substrate plane of the first substrate.